LAWS OF THE
WORLD ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
This page provides links to laws and policies of the
world dealing with female genital mutilation.
It does not include references to laws that establish committees or
bodies to study the issue or general criminal law provisions that could be
applied to female genital mutilation, but do not refer to the procedure
specifically (updated as of 2 February 2010).
Australia—AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Crimes
(Amendment) Act (No. 3) 1995.
Australia—New South
Wales
Crimes
Act 1900 [Section 45] [initially enacted by Act (No. 58 of 1994) to amend the
Crimes Act 1900 to prohibit female genital mutilation, 22 September 1994].
Australia—Northern Territory
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/consol_act/ccotntoa498/index.html">Criminal
Code of the Northern Territory of Australia [Section 186A-186D] [initially
enacted by the Criminal Code Amendment Act (No. 2) 1995, 28 December 1995].
Australia—South Australia
Criminal
Law Consolidation Act 1935 [Sections 32-33B] [initially enacted by the Statutes
Amendment (Female Genital Mutilation and Child Protection) Act 1995 (Act No. 24
of 1995), 27 April 1995].
Australia—Victoria
Crimes (Female Genital
Mutilation) Act 1996 (Act No. 46 of 1996), 26 November 1996.
Belgium
Law of
28 November 2000 on the criminal protection of minors [Article 29].
Burkina Faso
Law No.
43/96/ADP of 13 November 1996, the Penal Code [Articles 380-382].
CANADA
Act to amend the Criminal Code
(child prostitution, child sex tourism, criminal harassment and female genital
mutilation), 25 April 1997 [Section 5], as incorporated into the Criminal Code
as Section 268.
CHAD
Law No. 006/PR/2002 of 15
April 2002, on the promotion of reproductive health.
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF
Law No. 06/018 of 20 July
2006 [amends the Penal Code with respect to female genital mutilation].
DENMARK
Law No. 490 of 17 June
2008 [amends the Penal Code to bring within Danish jurisdiction female genital
mutilation carried out outside the country by or against a person with a Danish
connection].
Djibouti
Penal
Code, 1995 [Article 333].
Decree No. 2008-0098/PR/MS
of 7 April 2008, the Code of Medical Ethics.
National Health Development Plan
2008-2012.
EGYPT
Order No. 261 of 8 July 1996 of the
Minister of Health and Population.
Law No. 126 of 2008
amending the provisions of the Child Law, 15 June 2008.
France
Penal Code; Decree No. 95-1000 of 6
September 1995 setting forth the Code of Medical Ethics [Article 41].
Ghana
An Act
(484 of 1994) to amend the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29) to include in the Code
the offence of female circumcisions and for connected purposes, 4 August 1994.
Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2007
(Act No. 741), 7 August 2007.
Guinea
Decree
No. D/96/205/PRG/SGG of 5 December 1996 promulgating the Code of Medical
Deontology [Article 40].
Ivory Coast
Law
No. 98-757 of 23 December 1998 on the repression of certain forms of violence
against women.
Madagascar
Decree
No. 98-945 of 4 December 1998 setting forth the Code of Medical Ethics [Article
39].
MALI
Ordinance No. 02-053/P-RM of 4 June
2002 creating a National Program to Fight the Practice of Female Genital
Mutilation.
Circular No. 0019/MSP-AG-SG of 7
January 1999 of the Ministry of Health, the Aged, and Solidarity [prohibits the
performance of female genital mutilation in health establishments].
.
MAURITANIA
Ordinance No. 2005-015 of 5
December 2005.
New Zealand
Crimes Act (1961-1999) Act No.
20 of 1999 [Sections 204A-205A] [initially enacted by the Crimes Amendment Act
1995 (Act No. 49 of 1995), 2 August 1995].
NIGER
Law of 24 May 2006, Law on
Reproductive Health.
NORWAY
Law No. 74 of 15 December 1995
prohibiting female genital mutilation.
Law No. 74 of 19 June 2009
[amends the Penal Code with respect to female genital mutilation].
Action Plan for Combating Female
Genital Mutilation, 2008.
SENEGAL
Law No. 99-05 of 25 January 1999
amending various provisions of the Penal Code [Article 2], as incorporated into
the Penal Code, Article 299bis.
South Africa
Promotion of Equality and
Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000 (Act No. 4 of 2000) [Section 8].
SPAIN
Organic Law No. 11/2003 of 29
September 2003 on measures relating to the safety of citizens, domestic
violence, and the social integration of foreigners.
Sweden
Law No. 316 of 27 May 1982
prohibiting female circumcision.
Tanzania
Sexual Offences
Special Provisions Act, 1998 (Act No. 4 of 1998), 1 July 1998 [Section 21].
Togo
Law No.
98-016 of 17 November 1998 prohibiting female genital mutilation in Togo.
Law No. 2007-017 of 6 July 2007,
the Children’s Code.
Uganda
The
Children Statute 1996 (Statute No. 6 of 1996) [Section 8].
United Kingdom
Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003
(Chapter 31 of 2003), 30 October 2003.
United States
Public Law No. 104-208, 30
September 1996 [Sections 579, 644, and 645].
ZIMABABWE
Domestic Violence
Act, 26 February 2007.